Under the helmet and in the classroom

The life of UTSA Quarterback Frank Harris

UTSA starting quarterback Frank Harris didn’t always want to be a football player. For most of his youth, in fact, he wanted to be a bull-rider.

Growing up in Converse, Texas, Harris was surrounded by horses and spent his time hunting and fishing. He loved going to the rodeo with his brother, outfitted with his cowboy boots, San Antonio Spurs belt buckle and cowboy hat – and he wanted to be down in the ring riding those bulls.

“My dad was on board with it,” Harris recalled. “He bought a little toy bull with springs on it and I would ride on it and jump off onto the couch like I was jumping off a bull.”

While he still holds a place in his heart for the country, and you can find him fishing on his breaks, Harris quickly realized that the rodeo life wasn’t for him.

“As I started getting exposed to sports, I quickly decided to change gears,” he said.

Thankfully for UTSA, Harris latched onto football and became dedicated to making it to a Division I program.

Even though UTSA was a half hour away from his hometown, it was a new world for Harris – far enough away from home to strike out on his own, but close enough to be back for holidays.

Harris spent his first two years redshirted and rehabbing an injury, leaving him unable to play. He took this time to fully explore courses and interests as an undergraduate. When he found an introduction to sociology class with Favor Campbell, he was hooked.

“I just fell in love with it,” Harris said. “Professor Favor Campbell taught us things applicable to real life and things we could use on an everyday basis.”

“Sociology is a discipline that covers so many challenging, real-world topics,” Campbell said. “I teach it in a way where I hope my students leave having learned how to embrace seeing things from different perspectives, even if they don’t necessarily agree with it. I really want them to become the best version of themselves, and Frank Harris is a wonderful example of this.”

By the time he was a redshirt sophomore, Harris’ degree was declared and he was ready to play –earning the starting quarterback job in late fall camp – only to land a season-ending injury four games in. With his never-quit mentality, however, he rehabbed and was determined to make it back on the field.

Harris was ready to give it his all, again, as a redshirt junior – despite the altered season due to the COVID-19, despite his past injuries, and despite the new lifestyle that quickly became our new normal. “No matter what is thrown at you, you have to be disciplined enough to do your work,” Harris said. “You have to leave practice and study, do your homework, and make sacrifices to make sure it all gets done.”

The “get it done” mentality has helped Harris lead his team to a slate of firsts – the program’s first top 25 rankings, conference championships in 2021 and 2022, division championship in 2021, and three consecutive bowl games from 2020-2022. Personally, Harris has won numerous awards, including 2022 Conference USA Most Valuable Player, C-USA Championship Game MVP and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award finalist, and he holds more than 30 school records.

“Frank Harris is one of the most unique studentathletes I have ever coached in more than 30 years in the business,” said head coach Jeff Traylor “He epitomizes what you want in a quarterback. He’s a great leader who is loved and respected by his teammates, and he never gives up, no matter the situation we’re facing. He’s a talented and accomplished player who will go down in our history as one of the greatest to ever play at UTSA.”

Harris earned his B.A. in sociology in 2021 and enrolled in the Master of Public Administration program to continue his studies – and to continue playing football.

“Graduating with my degree was pretty special,” Harris said. “I’m the youngest of four graduating, and it was big for my family.”

Despite the demanding schedule of training, regular-season games, spring games, and more training, Harris has remained a model student and is excelling in his master’s program.

“Frank is the definition of a student-athlete,” said Jeff Coyle, lecturer of Public Administration. “He rarely missed a class, always participated in the dialogue and used each of the assignments to further his understanding in the area of urban management that interested him most — public safety. He was as much a joy to have in my class as he is to watch on the field.”

While the line from sociology to public administration may not seem solid, Harris points out the connection between the two and how it can help him on and off the field.

“My undergraduate degree really put things into perspective for me,” he said. “To understand things like why certain areas have high crime rates, what drives people to do certain things, and how society is built.” With that understanding comes the ability to start to implement change – with a degree in public administration, Harris will learn how policies are written and ways to affect change with the reasoning behind it.

Although his time with UTSA is winding down, Harris has several highlights to look back on – and major goals to accomplish before graduation.

“Winning the conference championship – that’s what my goal was coming into the program,” he said. “Looking back on the last two seasons, it’s hard to explain all the hard work that we've been putting in, and all the obstacles that I had to jump over myself just to get to the point where I am now – it’s a wild experience.”

He won’t be fully content, though, until UTSA wins that first bowl game. After that, he’s ready to see where life – and football – takes him.

“I just go day by day,” Harris said. “I’m hoping to get married next year, and we’ll see – maybe I’ll still be playing football, or I’ll have a job lined up. It’s exciting for me to take the next step in my life.”

– Amanda Cerreto